City Oilers have taken a 2-1 lead in the National Basketball League Finals after beating Namuwongo Blazers 76-72 in overtime in Game Three at Lugogo on Sunday.
The game was tied 64-all at the end of regulation, setting up a dramatic overtime period in which the Oilers pulled away to claim the crucial victory.
But before overtime, there was plenty of drama.
With just two seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Nyembo Fataki drained a late three-pointer to level the game at 64-all.
Following a timeout, Patrick Rembert attempted a potential game-winning three-pointer for the Oilers, but his shot missed the target.
The referee, however, called a foul, sending Rembert to the free-throw line for three shots.
Chaos then erupted.
Namuwongo Blazers protested the decision, arguing that time had already expired when the foul was called.
After a lengthy confrontation, the referees reversed the decision and ordered overtime—a move that did not sit well with the Oilers.
Namuwongo Blazers CEO Daniel Muttu Obo was involved in a heated confrontation with City Oilers manager Hajji Muhammad Santur during the chaos.
The Oilers initially refused to take the court as the dispute continued, but parity was eventually restored and the game proceeded to overtime.
City Oilers then outscored the Blazers 12-8 in the extra period to secure the 76-72 victory and move one win closer to the championship.
Patrick Rembert led the Oilers with 22 points, while Germaine Roebuck and Fayed Bbaale contributed 11 and 10 points respectively.
Fataki was the game’s leading scorer with 28 points for Namuwongo, but his impressive performance was not enough to prevent the Blazers from falling behind in the series.
Namuwongo will now look to level the best-of-seven series when the two teams meet again in Game Four on Friday.
Post a comment